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Friday, December 6, 2013

Interview with dark supernatural thriller author D. Melhoff

Today is a book blurb and excerpt from the dark supernatural thriller, Come Little Children, by D. Melhoff.

During his virtual book tour, D. will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner's choice) to a lucky commenter. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too.

Bio:

D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town located an inch above the Canadian-American border. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Raimi, and his second grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror.

Welcome, D. Please tell us about your new release:

Come Little Children is about a mortician who moves to a secluded
town in the Yukon for her first job after graduating from mortuary school. Her
new employers are the town’s most controversial citizens, and when strange
things start happening around the morgue—including midnight visits from
children who were thought to be dead—she won’t stop until she uncovers the
truth behind these paranormal conspiracies.

What inspired you to write this book?

Morticians fascinate me. I’ve known a few of them personally, and they’re
interesting characters (anyone who spends more time with the dead than the
living is bound to be, no?). But it wasn’t until I was lying on my couch at
home, recovering from lower jaw surgery, that I saw a TV special about the
funeral business and put the whole idea together. I’d like to think I came up
with the plot sober, but those drugs that they give to you post-facial-surgery
include some potent stuff, so who’s to say?

Excerpt:

As Camilla Carleton
rattled along in the back of the hearse, the first lines of an old song popped
into her head: Oh never laugh as the hearse goes by, for you may be the next
to die.

The rhyme brought
back a sharp memory from almost a year ago. She was sitting in a pub called The
Konnerkauhn on St. Patrick’s Day, chanting the song with a totally straight
face, while Vickie—her lab partner—and Vickie’s roommate, Jasmine, leaned
across the table and called out the most ridiculous garbage

She tried blocking
the hecklers—“Sneezing pandas!” “Hitler milking a cow!”—but her breathing
changed and a forbidden smirk brimmed on the edge of her lips. Finally everyone
burst into laughter and screamed,
"Drink! Drink!” while she downed the rest of her beer and watched
them cackle through the bottom

of her heavy mug.

Leave it to two
Funeral Services majors and a Dark Ages nerd tomake a drinking game out of “The
Hearse Song,”
she thought. Of all folk tunes.

What exciting story are you working on
next?

I’m
currently working on a summer camp horror story, which I’m very excited about.
Nothing paranormal in this one, just my own take on the classic “summer
slasher” book (with a few new twists, of course).

When did you first consider yourself a
writer?

I first
considered myself a writer when I was able to make it my full-time job (about
six months ago). I’ve been writing my entire life, of course, but to be able to
tell people that I’m an author takes the confidence of having a commercial
release under my belt.

8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Anyone’s guess. Sometimes I’ll take the evening off
if I feel I’ve had a productive day, but most of the time my mind wanders back
to my current project, so I’ll just keep writing. Personally, I like working
late. There’s something special in the air when the rest of the continent goes
to sleep and no one’s awake to bother you.

What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?

I’m a very
kinetic writer; in other words, I can’t sit still for long periods of time,
especially when I’m coming up with ideas and outlining a story. Come to think
of it, I must look like a lunatic while I’m pacing around and mumbling random
lines of dialogue to myself.

Only some marketing jazz, of course. If anyone’s interested in learning
more about Come Little Children, please visit my website and watch the video
trailer at www.dmelhoff.com. To order the novel, visit Amazon directly.

I'm listed!

Blog Tour Partner - Goddess Fish

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About Me

I'm a NH native and love New England. I love writing about the region, exploring it on foot, on my bicycle, and in my car. There are so many small communities and fun and interesting people in this area, that I could be here a lifetime and not do all it is I want to do. :)

I'm a moderator at The Writer's Chatroom that hosts live chats with guest authors on Sunday nights 7-9PM EST. Join the e-mail list to get notifications of upcoming guests, then stop in and join the conversation!